Christophe followed Lykos down the small hill to the stream. There was a source of water in the caves, but it didn’t have fish. Lykos kept the leash short, only a few feet, but there was an additional coil of chain in his hand. His wrist and ankle cuffs, however, weren’t secured together, allowing in freedom of movement otherwise. Lykos rarely bothered with those chains anymore, but he never removed the leash. It was no longer even fastened to the collar by a lock. Lykos had used his power to seal the links to create a ten-foot length of unbroken chain permanently attached to the collar, though longer lengths were often attached.

He sat on a rock, enjoying the sun as Lykos gave the stream one of his critical looks. “Overhunting. Fish too small.” Lykos glared at the water, then sniffed it and wrinkled his nose. “Fertilizer run off. Shameful.”

“They’ve been trying to pass laws about the runoff problems, but the corn industry has a powerful lobby.” Christophe lay back on the rock. Lykos had secured the leash, giving him about a twenty-foot radius to move around in. But with living half naked in a cool cave most of the time, the sun felt good and he saw no need to move from where he currently was. Off in the distance he saw a helicopter heading west.

“Lobbyists. Should all be drawn and quartered.” Lykos shook his head as he waded into the river.

“Can’t really argue with that.” He lifted himself up to rest a hand on his head. Watching Lykos catch fish with his bare hands remained fascinating. The man had attempted to teach him and Christophe had even managed it once, but Lykos made it look far easier than it actually was. Within a few minutes, several fish were on the bank.

Cleaning the fish and game, however, remained his task. He was getting better at it. Lykos had caned his feet twice before he’d gotten the hang of properly butchering a deer. He’d wondered at why the man had brought back so much before realizing that the leaves were falling. Lykos was stocking up for winter. “You like chickens?”

It took him a moment to realize Lykos had asked him a question. “I like chicken.”

“You…” He picked up the fish. “You talk like you intend to stay in the caves forever.”

“Good place. Secure.” Lykos nodded. He frowned when he looked at Christophe, and a couple expressions crossed his face. “You don’t want to live in cave forever.”

I want you to let me go. He didn’t say the words aloud. “I kind of miss television sometimes. And uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Lonely.” Lykos gave him a look that was surprisingly sympathetic.

“A little.” He watched Lykos unfasten his leash from the tree for the trip back.

“Perhaps…” Lykos hesitated before he started back toward the cave. “We can go north. Canada. Find small town where no one will look for us.”

“That uh…” Christophe nodded. “Yeah.”

#

He pulled his Christophe into his arms and claimed his mouth. Christophe kissed him back, his lips tasting a little of butter. Lykos smiled. “Good boy.” He grabbed Christophe’s leg and moved it so Christophe was straddling his lap, then nibbled at Christophe’s neck. “Put hands behind back.”

“Yes, master.” Christophe obediently put his hands behind his back, and Lykos locked his wrist cuffs together. He’d made Christophe strip as soon as they’d entered the cave again. The small campfire kept the shelter warm enough, and he enjoyed the way Christophe looked wearing nothing but his chains. He grabbed Christophe’s hair and pulled his head back to gain better access to Christophe’s throat, and heard Christophe let out a small moan in response.

Christophe was panting a little. “Yes, master.” It was not entirely the truth, but it was also not entirely a lie.

Lykos smiled as he began shifting position so Christophe was laying over his knee. With one hand, he took hold of Christophe’s collar, using it to keep his pet in place. He rubbed Christophe’s ass with the other, then brought it down to deliver a light smack. Christophe made a small sound, more of a sharp breath than a cry of pain. Lykos rubbed the area to sooth the bit of sting away before delivering another blow.

Slowly, he began increasing the force of the blow until Christophe cried out. Then he reached between Christophe’s legs to fondle the young man. “Good boy. Strong boy.”

“Yes, master.” Christophe spread his legs a little to give Lykos better access. Lykos stroked him a few more times before spanking him again. “Augh.”

“I can stop now, let you suck me…” Lykos stroked him again. “Or spank more, then fuck you until you cum.” He used his thumb to caress Christophe’s balls. “Choose.”

“I…” Christophe moaned a little when Lykos played with his shaft. “More.”

This was worse. Christophe thrashed where Lykos had chained him down, spread eagled. This was honestly worse than the beating Lykos had just given him. He groaned and arched his back as Lykos once again stopped short of taking him over the edge. “Master, please.”

Lykos gave a wicked laugh. “Patience is virtue.” His mouth came down on Christophe’s. His hands trailed over Christophe’s body just light enough to tickle and make Christophe squirm.

“Please.” He jerked at the chains, fighting against the sensations Lykos was skillfully drawing from him. “Please.”

“I promised…” Lykos nibbled at his throat. “You will get there.” He chuckled. “Eventually.”

“Master…” Christophe gave him a pleading look.

“You want me fuck you?”

“Yes.”

“Hard?”

“Oh god yes. Please.” Christophe tried to push himself into Lykos’s hands to increase the sensation, only for Lykos to move his hands further away. The chains rattled. “Please.”

His hips were caught and lifted as Lykos slid a little beneath him. Christophe tried to arch, to impale himself, but Lykos was too strong. He held Christophe in place, his cock teasing lightly at Christophe’s entrance. “You want my cock in you?”

“Master.” Christophe tried to push his bruised and well-prepared ass down onto Lykos’s shaft, but the man was unyielding. “Master, please.” He heard himself whimpering. “Please.”

#

Lykos drove himself inside his Christophe, savoring the sound of Christophe’s cry of mixed pain and pleasure. Christophe fought him and the chains, not to escape, but to get Lykos in deeper. Instead of letting him, Lykos took him slowly, savoring the sensation of Christophe’s friction against his cock.

Christophe’s own cock was swollen and hard, lovely and red against his pale skin. He teased it just a little with one hand, and heard Christophe whimper in response. “Not yet, my Christophe. Not yet.”

“Please.” His Christophe was such a good boy, though he could see the toll it was taking on his straining form. Trying as hard as he could not to cum before he was allowed.

He rocked his hips, fucking Christophe rhythmically, moving in time to his whimpers and pleas. It was not until he felt himself near the edge that he drove himself in hard. “Now.”

A smile came to his face as he heard Christophe cry out his name, and he came deep inside his captive. A moan escaped him as he felt Christophe twitching and shuddering. “Good boy.” He slowly withdrew, painting. “Good boy.”

#

Waking in Lykos’s arms was no longer strange. Some mornings the man held him so tightly he could barely move. Usually, though, Lykos usually awoke the same time he did, or else he was awake before Christophe. It took Christophe a while to realize that it wasn’t yet morning.

He didn’t try to pull free, if for no other reason than the air of the cave held a chill and at the moment, Lykos was its only source of warmth. Cold didn’t seem to bother the man at all, and he sometimes forgot Christophe couldn’t handle it as easily. Finally, his bladder made the decision. He slowly and carefully worked his way out of Lykos’s grip, then moved to where they’d set up a bucket and did his business.

On his way back toward the bed, he stopped. Christophe stared. His chain wasn’t attached to the rail. He glanced again at the sleeping Lykos, then at the loose chain. A few deep breaths, and then he carefully gathered the chain so it didn’t make a sound. He swallowed, and glanced at the entrance to the cave.

Then he quietly laid the chain down and crawled back in next to Lykos. Lykos mumbled something, still half asleep, and then put an arm over Christophe and pulled him in close. Christophe lay his head down and closed his eyes, letting himself drift back off to sleep.

#

“This is the second time they spotted what they think might be signs of habitation in the area.” Darin spread the pictures out on the desk. “No clear sightings and they haven’t gone in on foot for a closer look, but it’s not far from the range of the cell phone tower the call came from.”

“You think this thing has just been living in the woods?” Guerin gave him a skeptical look. “What, he just put up a teepee somewhere?”

“It is more likely…” Wotan took the map one of the soldiers brought him, and rolled it out on the table. “There are caves and abandoned mines in the area. Such would suit him well enough, and he has skills that would enable him to make such an area defensible.”

“There are…” Guerin growled softly. “A lot of caves and abandoned mines in the area. You’re still talking about over a hundred square miles. How the fuck do we search that without tipping the son of a bitch off?” When Wotan gave him an annoyed look, Guerin shoved him in the chest. He was mildly annoyed the the bastard didn’t budge. “You’re the expert. Find the fucker.”

“These areas are too near hiking trails. He’d want something with water, both nearby and in his stronghold in event of siege. His preference would be for a natural cave, though the presence of mining equipment wouldn’t necessarily dissuade him. He’d be more comfortable with a deeper cave, but something with at least one other exit.” Wotan began marking the map, making a series of Xs as he rejected various locations. “But he had a camper, and it has not yet been located. Likely he would not want to lose the resource of a vehicle. So, he would need a trail, and one wooded enough that the vehicle could be concealed…” He circled three locations. “If he has not moved on, he is most likely in one of these caverns.”

“Capture.” Wotan’s voice was firm. When Guerin turned to glare at him again, Wotan narrowed his eyes. “Lykos is to be captured alive.”

“You want that freak alive…” Guerin stabbed a finger into his chest. “Then you go get him.” He turned back to Darin. “I want my boy home for dinner.” He started to turn, only to see Wotan striding out of the room. “Good fucking riddance.”